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how long do golf balls last in water

by Santiago Quigley PhD Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Both types of balls lose approximately six yards of total distance after eight days in water. However, two-piece golf balls will lose about 10 yards in total after three months in water, while multi-piece golf balls will lose approximately 12 yards in three months and 15 yards in six months underwater.Jan 6, 2022

How long does water stay on a golf ball?

Feb 09, 2022 · Do Golf Balls Go Bad In Water? If a 3-piece ball stays in the water for about a week, it also loses roughly six yards, and if you leave it there for three months, you can expect to lose 12 yards. Forget about it for six months, and that number will go up to 15 yards. The same is true for 4-piece and 5-piece golf balls.

How long do golf balls last?

Nov 16, 2020 · If golf balls are allowed to sit in the water for more than 12 hours, it will be permanently damaged. Though it might be difficult to notice from the outside, the damage caused will evidently affect the driving distance off of the tee. Furthermore, the golf ball’s core will be damaged which is supposed to be the source of the ball’s energy.

How long can a golf ball sit in a pond?

They found that balls sitting in water for 1, 3, or even five months do not perform any differently than the brand new ones. Hence, the next time you stumble upon a golf ball sitting in a pond, do not dismiss it. Grab it, check it for paint-chippings or scrapes. If it looks ready and good to go, then do not hesitate to use it and test it out.

Are golf balls affected when they go underwater?

But a decade or more is a plausible time frame, especially for a two-piece solid ball, although no scientific studies have been conducted to precisely determine the shelf life of a golf ball. Two-Piece. Two-piece golf balls last a long time. A two-piece ball has a solid rubber core with a soft plastic or ionomer cover.

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How long can you leave golf balls in water?

They basically found that there was almost no difference in the performance of all of the golf balls. Using Trackman to trackball flight, carry distance, and roll distance, their testing revealed that golf balls that had been submerged for as long as 5 months performed just as well as brand new golf balls.Sep 6, 2021

Do golf balls get waterlogged?

On the other hand, old golf balls or those with cracks and damage can be waterlogged easily. Sometimes, old golf balls may have micro-cracks that you can't see. In this case, the golf ball can get waterlogged if submerged in the water for a while.Jan 19, 2022

Can water ruin golf balls?

The further result is significant damage to the golf ball's core, which is designed to be ball's energy source. Studies show that after just one week in the water, lake balls will lose 5 to 10 yards in driving distance off of the tee; after 3 months, the distance loss widens to 20 to 30 yards.

Are 20 year old golf balls still good?

The golf ball researchers at Titleist state, "Today's Titleist golf balls can be safely stored for five years or even more, as long as they are kept away from excessive heat. ... Normal indoor conditions should be fine for storage."

Two-Piece

Two-piece golf balls last a long time. A two-piece ball has a solid rubber core with a soft plastic or ionomer cover. Ralph Peterson, research and development director for Wilson golf balls, said, "For a two-piece ball, we've really seen no changes after five to seven years."

Three-Piece

A three-piece golf ball, usually targeted at better players, features a solid rubber or liquid center surrounded by elastic windings and a Surlyn or balata cover. "Three-piece wound balls are a bit different because they go through stress relaxation of the windings, " said Peterson, adding that they should last "a couple of years."

Storage

GolfBallTest.org debunks a myth about golf ball storage: "Storing golf balls in the freezer is never recommended and does not preserve their compression and freshness, contrary to some belief," In fact, playing with cold balls will sap your drives of their normal distance. So keep your balls in a cool, dry place and they will last for awhile.

Considerations

Even if you can store golf balls for a years without a loss of performance, you might be disappointed in their performance when you take them to the golf course. That's because golf ball manufacturers are continually looking for cutting-edge methods to improve the performance of their balls.

The Cover

Golf balls are typically made with two different types of cover materials: firmer ionomer material or softer urethane. Urethane is generally used on premium golf balls like the Titleist Pro V1 and Srixon Z-Star.

The Core

Modern golf ball cores are made of extremely durable polymers. The core is designed to hold up swing after swing for all swing speeds. These golf balls are much more durable than the old wound golf balls of the past and are incredibly difficult to damage.

When To Change Your Ball

Without visible damage, a golf ball can last up to seven 18-hole rounds without any loss of performance. In fact, you are more likely to lose a golf ball on the course before it just wears out. But as soon as the ball feels rough, you should replace it. Most golfers swap out golf balls far more frequently and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Long-Term Storage

An old golf ball myth once stated that storing your golf balls in the freezer would maintain their compression and “freshness”. If you have ever played golf in cold weather, you know the cold can cause you to lose distance. Storing your golf balls in a freezer has the same effect.

How long does it take for a golf ball to absorb water?

When a golf ball is submerged in a lake or pond, it will begin to absorb water. It takes about 12 hours for water to penetrate the cover and find its way to the core.

What ball do tour players use?

a pro version, high swing speed, low swing speed, etc. Most tour players use a titleist pro v-1 or pro v-1x , and I think it's the best ball as well, but many successful players use others, Tiger and Rory use Nike balls. You will get what you pay for generally, regardless of the company

Construction of a Golf Ball

To best understand how golf balls are affected when they spend some time in the water, it’s essential to know how they are made. Generally speaking, golf balls are constructed of a cover, and then inside there are one two or sometimes three additional layers of materials.

Are Golf Balls Affected When They Go Under Water?

To determine how much golf balls are affected when they go underwater, we need to break this down into two categories, the first being new golf balls and the second being used golf balls.

What Happens?

When a golf ball with these micro-cracks ends up in a pond, water will seep into the center or core of the golf ball. When this happens, the core is not nearly as active as it was because of the water. It loses most of its spring effect that makes it fly.

How Long Does It Take To Get Waterlogged?

For a golf ball that has been hit several times and has some tiny imperfections in the cover, it will only take several hours for the golf ball to lose distance. This is not that much time.

Are Lake Balls Any Good?

So that brings us to the next question, if we know that golf balls do get waterlogged, are these golf balls worth purchasing? Here are a few things to consider.

What Does It Mean If They Are Refurbished – Are These Worth Using?

When you purchase a refurbished golf ball, you won’t know if it was in the water or not (unless the company claims that it wasn’t). A refurbished ball has it’s cover sandblasted off, replaced, and then it is painted to match what type of golf ball it originally was.

Does The Quality Of The Golf Ball Really Matter?

The quality of the golf ball makes a huge difference as soon as you can see and feel that difference although admittedly it will matter more for experts and improvers more than complete beginners.

Why do golf balls deform?

This depends on a number of factors including how they are stored and how they are used. If golf balls are kept too long in the cold or in the heat, they can deform. If they are scuffed after many rounds their value can also decrease.

Who is Lawrence Smelser?

Lawrence Smelser is part of the Golfible editorial staff and is a freelance golf writer. Smelser has covered the PGA Tour and most recently the 2019 Masters. He holds a journalism Bachelor's degree from Texas A&M and a Master’s journalism degree from the University of North Texas

How Golf Balls Are Made?

In order to better understand how water can affect a golf ball, it’s helpful to know how golf balls are constructed. Modern balls consist of multiple layers – either two, three, or four. All kinds of flashy core technology could be going on on the inside, but what’s really important is what’s going on with the outer layer.

Can Golf Balls Get Waterlogged?

Generally speaking, the surlyn and urethane outer shells of golf balls do their job pretty darn well. However, at the microstructural level, there are unavoidable gaps in the molecules. And these gaps are just big enough to allow water particles to squeeze their way through.

Does Water Affect Golf Ball Performance?

Theoretically, and anecdotally, yes. A layer of water inside the ball does it no favors. Since the ball isn’t able to compress as much, it will surely not be able to fly as far – especially if it’s been lying in water for months, or even years.

Should You Play With Waterlogged Golf Balls?

Modern golf balls are, in general, very well put together, and there is now evidence to suggest that a few months in a lake does not affect a ball’s performance.

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